Attributed F & C Osler | Arts & Crafts Vaseline-Glass Lantern | England c.1900
£695.00
A bronzed-metal arts and crafts lantern attributed to F & C Osler, Birmingham. The vaseline-glass insert almost certainly by James Powell & Sons of Whitefriars. Distinct Osler foliate detailing with original ceiling hook plate but apparently unsigned. England, c. 1900
Diam. 18cm/7in Ht. lantern 38/15, Overall 51/20
Provenance: see picture 4 of Osler lantern with matching foliate detailing
F & C Osler, Birmingham & London
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The company Osler was established in Birmingham, 1807 by Thomas Osler
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The business really began functioning in 1831 when his sons Abraham Follett & Thomas Clarkson took over and the company.
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Specialising in crystal glass chandeliers they opened a showroom filled with the best stock on Oxford Street.
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In the latter half of the 19th century Osler found success in India due to the countries wealth and efficient shipping links.
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The name F & C Osler was first recognised on 14th July 1906 when the children and grandchildren of Follett and Clarkson became the first directors.
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From 1911 the demand for simple clean pieces of glass was lost, however the demand for light fittings made entirely of metal was flourishing.
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This coincided nicely with the opportunity to acquire a lighting company named Faraday & Son Ltd in 1919 and the company became Osler & Faraday Ltd.
Whitefriars Glass Company, London
James Powell & Sons
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In 1834 James Powell, then a 60-year-old London wine merchant and entrepreneur, purchased the Whitefriars Glass Company, a small glass-works off Fleet Street in London.
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Powell, and his sons Arthur and Nathanael, were newcomers to glass making, but soon acquired the necessary expertise and specialised in making church stain glass windows.
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During the latter part of the c.19th, the firm formed a close association with leading architects and designers. Whitefriars produced the glass that Phillip Webb used in his designs for William Morris
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By 1900 production lines of vaseline and opalescent glass-ware, including lampshades, were proving to be extremely successful with clients such as William Arthur Smith Benson using their glass in the design of their lights.
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The firm’s name was changed to Powell & Sons (Whitefriars) Ltd in 1919